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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-31989

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have visited the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park in each year since its establishment.

Question reference: S2W-31991

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs are supported by the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

Question reference: S2W-32016

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many recipients of council tax benefit aged 60 or over there were in the Stirling local authority area in each of the last three years for which the information is available, also showing what percentage of the over-60 age group they represented.

The data relating to recipientsof council tax benefit are presented in terms of benefit units, which are basedon households in receipt of council tax benefit and as a result may contain twoor more persons (possibly one of whom may also be aged under 60). These data arereported in the following table.

Number of Benefit UnitsContaining One or More Persons Aged Over 60 Receiving Council Tax Benefit**

Local Authority	2004	2005	2006
Stirling	3,420	3,490	3,570

Note: **The data have been providedby the Department of Work and Pensions and relate to benefit units, not counts ofpersons. Figures include benefit units where there is a single person aged over60, and benefit units containing two or more persons where at least one is agedover 60. Council tax benefit figures exclude any second adult rebate cases. Thesource is the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information Systemquarterly caseload.

It is not appropriate to dividecouncil tax benefit units by population figures for the over 60-age group, as theseare on a different basis.

Question reference: S2W-32040

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in relation to locating one-stop health clinics in the NHS Forth Valley area.

It is for the NHS board to ensurethat the health services provided meet local needs and to plan how such servicesare provided.

NHS Forth Valley continues to make good progress in the developmentof one stop clinics as part of their focus to redesign services and improve accessfor patients. Recent examples include the development of a urology one-stop clinicand development of the colorectal clinic. Work has now started on the developmentof a head and neck one-stop clinic.

Question reference: S2W-32024

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been allocated to Stirling Council from the Strategic Waste Fund in each year since 1999.

The following table details theamount of funding allocated to Stirling Council from the Strategic Waste Fund eachyear since 1999. Funding from 2008-09 onwards is indicative and depends on the outcomeof future Spending Reviews.

	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02
Award (£)	0	59,000	0
	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05
Award (£)	285,000	2,916,670	1,559,965
	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Award (£)	1,680,224	2,354,000	1,696,000
	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Award (£)	1,585,000	1,822,000	1,810,000
	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14
Aware (£)	1,796,000	1,783,000	1,769,000
	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Award (£)	1,753,000	1,738,000	1,724,000
	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20
Award (£)	1,709,000	1,693,000	1,678,000

Question reference: S2W-32021

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 7 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the level of expenditure by Scottish Water on infrastructure and, in particular, on maintenance or renewals in the Stirling local authority area and what major projects have been completed in that area since 1999.

Question reference: S2W-31986

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 7 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds on sites of local, regional, national or international importance (a) in Stirlingshire and (b) throughout Scotland.

Important sites across Scotland arerun by a variety of public, private, and charitable organisations and help to makethis country a great place to visit. Attractions such as Stirling Castle, whichare run by Historic Scotland, attract many visitors, and lead them to a greaterunderstanding of our rich heritage.

Historic Scotland holdsinformation on sites in four categories of statutory and non-statutory designationsfor historic monuments, buildings and sites which fall within these designations.These are as follows:

Listed buildings: there are almost47,000 listed buildings of special architectural or historic interest given legalprotection under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act1997. Eight percent of these are recognised for their national or internationalimportance, 51% for their regional interest, and 41% for their local interest.

Scheduled monuments: there arejust under 8,000 scheduled sites in Scotland designated as ancient monuments of national importanceand given legal protection under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

Designated Wreck Sites arenationally important [U1] wrecks; their locations are designated as protected areasunder the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 and the Ancient Monuments and ArchaeologicalAreas Act 1979. There are eight wrecks designated under Protection of Wrecks Actand seven scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act.

Non-Statutory Designation – 342Gardens and Designed Landscapesof national importance are identified in the Inventory of Gardens and DesignedLandscapes in Scotland sponsored by Historic Scotland and ScottishNatural Heritage.

[U1]Whatto the criteria say?

Question reference: S2W-31985

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 7 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to establishing a blue plaque scheme similar to that operated by English Heritage.

Historic Scotland is directlyresponsible to Scottish ministers for safeguarding the nation’s historic environmentand promoting its understanding and enjoyment. Information plaques are currentlythe subject of Petition PE1012. Historic Scotland has been asked to comment on this petition by 26 March 2007 and isconsidering its response. My officials in Historic Scotland will send a copy ofits views on the petition to Dr Jackson.

Question reference: S2W-31988

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 7 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what the top 50 tourist attractions are by number of annual visitors.

The latest available figuresare for 2005. In 2005, the top 50 tourist attractions by number of annual visitorswere as follows:

Visitor Attraction	Visitor Numbers
Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh	1,187,342
Royal Museum and Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh	828,367
National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh	810,054
World Famous Old Blacksmith’s Shop Centre, Gretna Green	679,132
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh	619,946
Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh	614,321
National War Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh	567,744
Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow	530,751
Edinburgh Bus Tours, Edinburgh	458,963
Glasgow Science Centre, Glasgow	422,848
Museum of Transport, Glasgow	376,115
Stirling Castle, Stirling	373,766
New Lanark Village and Visitor Centre, Lanark	362,850
Glasgow Botanic Gardens, Glasgow	350,000
People’s Palace, Glasgow	342,904
David Welch Winter Gardens, Aberdeen	319,905
Falkirk Wheel, Falkirk	298,562
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee	279,717
Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh	273,279
Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh	265,659
Burns National Heritage Park, Ayr	264,247
Deep Sea World, North Queensferry	260,000
Dean Castle and Country Park, Kilmarnock	257,857
Eilean Donan Castle and Visitor Centre, by Kyle of Lochalsh	257,240
Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit	237,910
Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre, Edinburgh	235,714
Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow	235,237
The Burrell Collection, Glasgow	228,007
Scottish Wool Centre, Aberfoyle	225,009
Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh	222,584
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh	201,098
Boardwalk, Aberdeen	200,000
Culzean Castle and Country Park, Maybole	195,433
Baxters Highland Village, Fochabers	195,190
The Lighthouse, Glasgow	184,565
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Aberdeen	183,776
Teviot Watergardens, Kelso	179,053
Johnston’s Cashmere Visitor Centre, Elgin	164,570
Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh	162,781
CairnGorm Mountain Railway, near Aviemore	162,702
Dean Gallery, Edinburgh	159,348
David Marshall Lodge, near Aberfoyle	156,198
Nevis Range, Fort William	155,301
Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh	153,977
Museum of Flight, nr Haddington	150,908
Queens’ View Visitor Centre, Dunkeld	147,948
Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick	142,823
James Pringle Weavers of Inverness, Inverness	141,250
Isle of Bute Discovery Centre, Rothesay	136,325
Blair Castle, nr Pitlochry	135,330

Source: Scottish Visitor AttractionMonitor 2005.

Two visitor attraction operatorsprovided figures for inclusion in the general analysis but indicated they did notwant their figures published.

Question reference: S2W-31987

Asked by: Dr Sylvia Jackson, MSP for Stirling, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2007
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 7 March 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many workers are employed in tourism and tourism-related industries in each local authority area.

The latest data held currentlyestimates that there are just under 210,000 people employed in tourism related businessesacross Scotland, which represents 9% of the total workforce. The numberof people that are employed in tourism, and tourism-related industries in each localauthority area across Scotland is shown in the following table:

Local Authority	Tourism-Related Employment	Tourism-Related Employment Compared to all Employment (%)
Aberdeen City	11,692	7
Aberdeenshire	6,964	9
Angus	3,582	10
Argyll and Bute	5,050	14
Clackmannanshire	969	7
Comhairle nan Eilean Sar	942	9
Dumfries and Galloway	5,808	11
Dundee City	5,982	8
East Ayrshire	3,087	8
East Dunbartonshire	2,379	10
East Lothian	2,783	12
East Renfrewshire	1,983	11
Edinburgh City	30,826	10
Falkirk	4,500	8
Fife	11,186	8
Glasgow City	30,336	7
Highland	13,107	14
Inverclyde	2,220	7
Midlothian	1,904	7
Moray	3,068	9
North Ayrshire	4,410	11
North Lanarkshire	7,526	6
Orkney Islands	1,091	12
Perth and Kinross	8,231	14
Renfrewshire	5,971	8
Scottish Borders	4,709	11
Shetland Islands	1,351	10
South Ayrshire	5,579	12
South Lanarkshire	9,897	8
Stirling	4,902	11
West Dunbartonshire	3,290	11
West Lothian	4,334	6

Source: Annual business inquiryemployee analysis.